A culinary expert has revealed why there’s such a vast selection of pasta shapes. And to the surprise of many, each pasta shape serves a distinct purpose.
New Zealand-born chef Andy Hearnden (Andy Cooks on social media) has honed his skills in some of the finest eateries globally, including those in London, and recently imparted his wisdom about pasta. Andy revealed: “Have you ever wondered why there are so many pasta shapes? Well, it’s not random. The Italians have basically invented a secret code where every shape is matched to a specific sauce. Next time you’re in the shop and you need to buy some pasta, think about what sauce you’re having with it and what pasta you should match.” Matching the pasta shape with the appropriate sauce can truly elevate your culinary creations.
Pasta forms like fusilli, penne, and rigatoni are twisted and tubular. The latter two boast a convenient hole, ideal for trapping extra flavour.
Andy remarked: “Now, these pastas, they’re sauce magnets. The twists are great with the lighter sauces, and these tubes – they love the thick stuff.”
Andy advises that thin and long pasta, like spaghetti and angel hair pasta, are ideally suited to lighter sauces. They blend seamlessly with combinations like garlic and olive oil, or lemon and butter sauce, and even cacio e pepe.
The chef pointed out that these sauces cling to the pasta strands uniformly. He observed: “If you have a heavy meat sauce on a pasta like this, you’re going to watch all that meat just fall straight off.”
Flat and wide pasta includes varieties such as fettucine, pappardelle, and tagliatelle. Andy suggests that these pasta shapes are perfectly suited for meaty sauces, creamy concoctions, and pestos.
He clarified: “All that extra surface area grips all the flavour. And generally speaking, the heavier the sauce, the wider the noodle.”
The guidance was met with enthusiasm in the comments section, where people shared their reactions.
One individual commented: “This genuinely changes my life as somebody beginning their cooking journey.” Another stated: “I love pasta, and this has encouraged me to explore more shapes…apart from spaghetti.”